In realizing that consumers regularly straddle the work–life interface, some companies position their products according to their ability to address work and life needs together, then communicate this offering to consumers. Whether using a work–life positioning strategy is effective remains unclear , however. If this strategy signals work–life enrichment, it should increase consumers’ interest, but only if the product demands few resources from consumers. If the product instead demands substantial resources, a work–life positioning might inadvertently trigger perceptions of work–life conflict and lower consumers’ interest. To test these predictions, the authors partnered with three businesses to advertise their products, which impose varying resource demands, on social media using content that highlights the work–life interface or not. Analyses of ad click data support the predictions: Work–life ads are less effective than single-domain (work or life) ads if the advertising involves resource-demanding products, but they are more effective if it pertains to resource-undemanding products. Furthermore, the effects are stronger among consumer segments that experience more work–life conflict in general. With this initial application of work–life theory to a marketing context, this article offers relevant insights for both research and practice.
AggarwalPankajMcGillAnn L. (2007), “Is That Car Smiling at Me? Schema Congruity as a Basis for Evaluating Anthropomorphized Products,” Journal of Consumer Research, 34 (4), 468–79.
2.
AllenTammy D.HerstDavid E.L.BruckCarly S.SuttonMartha (2000), “Consequences Associated with Work-to-Family Conflict: A Review and Agenda for Future Research,” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5 (2), 278–308.
3.
BeattySharon E.TalpadeSalil (1994), “Adolescent Influence in Family Decision Making: A Replication with Extension,” Journal of Consumer Research, 21 (2), 332–41.
4.
BerryLeonard L.SeidersKathleenGrewalDhruv (2002), “Understanding Service Convenience,” Journal of Marketing, 66 (3), 1–17.
CamachoNunoNamHyoryungKannanP.K.StremerschStefan (2019), “Tournaments to Crowdsource Innovation: The Role of Moderator Feedback and Participation Intensity,” Journal of Marketing, 83 (2), 138–57.
7.
CampbellMargaret C.GoodsteinRonald C. (2001), “The Moderating Effect of Perceived Risk on Consumers’ Evaluations of Product Incongruity: Preference for the Norm,” Journal of Consumer Research, 28 (3), 439–49.
8.
De PelsmackerPatrickGeuensMaggieAnckaertPascal (2002), “Media Context and Advertising Effectiveness: The Role of Context Appreciation and Context/Ad Similarity,” Journal of Advertising, 31 (2), 49–61.
9.
DoddsWilliam B.MonroeKent B.GrewalDhruv (1991), “Effects of Price, Brand, and Store Information on Buyers’ Product Evaluations,” Journal of Marketing Research, 28 (3), 307–19.
10.
DumasTracy L.PhillipsKatherine W.RothbardNancy P. (2013), “Getting Closer at the Company Party: Integration Experiences, Racial Dissimilarity, and Workplace Relationships,” Organization Science, 24 (5), 1377–401.
11.
GaoHuachaoMittalVikasZhangYinlong (2020), “The Differential Effect of Local–Global Identity Among Males and Females: The Case of Price Sensitivity,” Journal of Marketing Research, 57 (1), 173–91.
12.
GeistClaudia (2005), “The Welfare State and the Home: Regime Differences in the Domestic Division of Labour,” European Sociological Review, 21 (1), 23–41.
13.
GermelmannChristianHerrmannJean-LucKachaMathieuDarkePeter R. (2020), “Congruence and Incongruence in Thematic Advertisement–Medium Combinations: Role of Awareness, Fluency, and Persuasion Knowledge,” Journal of Advertising, 49 (2), 141–64.
14.
GoodeWilliam J. (1960), “A Theory of Role Strain,” American Sociological Review, 25 (4) 483–96.
15.
GrandeyAlicia A.CropanzanoRussell (1999), “The Conservation of Resources Model Applied to Work–Family Conflict and Strain,” Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54 (2), 350–70.
16.
GreeneWilliam H. (2003), Econometric Analysis. Prentice Hall.
17.
GreenhausJeffreyBeutellNicholas J. (1985), “Sources and Conflict Between Work and Family Roles,” Academy of Management Review, 10 (1), 76–88.
18.
GreenhausJeffrey H.PowellGary N. (2006), “When Work and Family Are Allies: A Theory of Work-Family Enrichment,” Academy of Management Review, 31 (1), 72–92.
19.
GridironNatashia (2017), “Working Mothers, Work-Life Balance, Locus of Control, and Perceived Supportive Factors,” doctoral dissertation, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Walden University.
20.
GrzywaczJoseph G.MarksNadine F. (2000), “Reconceptualizing the Work-Family Interface: An Ecological Perspective on the Correlates of Positive and Negative Spillover Between Work and Family,” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5 (1), 111–26.
21.
HanKyuhongJungJihyeMittalVikasZyungJinyong DanielAdamHajo (2019), “Political Identity and Financial Risk Taking: Insights from Social Dominance Orientation,” Journal of Marketing Research, 56 (4), 581–601.
22.
HansonGinger C.HammerLeslie B.ColtonCari L. (2006), “Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Work-Family Positive Spillover,” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 11 (3), 249–65.
23.
HobfollStevan E. (2001), “The Influence of Culture, Community, and the Nested-Self in the Stress Process: Advancing Conservation of Resources Theory,” Applied Psychology, 50 (3), 337–421.
24.
HosanyShaheen A.R.HamiltonRebecca W. (2022), “Family Responses to Resource Scarcity,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (published online June 30), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00882-7.
25.
JangSoo JungZippayAllison (2011), “The Juggling Act: Managing Work-Life Conflict and Work-Life Balance,” Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 92 (1), 84–90.
26.
JungJihyeMittalVikas (2020), “Political Identity and the Consumer Journey: A Research Review,” Journal of Retailing, 96 (1), 55–73.
27.
KahnRobert L.WolfeDonald M.QuinnRobert P.SnoekDiedrick J.RosenthalRobert A. (1964), Organizational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity. John Wiley & Sons.
28.
KahnemanDanielTverskyAmos (1984), “Choices, Values, and Frames,” American Psychologist, 39 (4), 341–50.
29.
KaminsMichael A. (1990), “An Investigation into the ‘Match-Up’ Hypothesis in Celebrity Advertising: When Beauty May Be Only Skin Deep,” Journal of Advertising, 19 (1), 4–13.
30.
KaminsMichael A.GuptaKamal (1994), “Congruence Between Spokesperson and Product Type: A Matchup Hypothesis Perspective,” Psychology and Marketing, 11 (6), 569–86.
KasperHelmut MichaelMeyerMichaelSchmidtAngela (2005), “Managers Dealing with Work-Family-Conflict: An Explorative Analysis,” Journal of Managerial Psychology, 20 (5), 440–61.
33.
KossekEllen E.LeeKyung-Hee (2017), “Work-Family Conflict and Work-Life Conflict,” in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management. Oxford University Press, 1–21.
34.
LeslieLisa M.KingEden B.ClairJudith A. (2019), “Work-Life Ideologies: The Contextual Basis and Consequences of Beliefs About Work and Life,” Academy of Management Review, 44 (1), 72–98.
35.
McNallLaurel A.NicklinJessica M.MasudaAline D. (2009), “A Meta-Analytics Review of the Consequences Associated with Work-Family Enrichment,” Journal of Business and Psychology, 25 (3), 381–96.
36.
MillsMaura J.GrottoAngela (2017), “Who Can Have It All and How? An Empirical Examination of Gender and Work–Life Considerations Among Senior Executives,” Gender in Management: An International Journal, 32 (2), 82–97.
37.
NaminAidinHamiltonMitchell L.RohmAndrew J. (2020), “Impact of Message Design on Banner Advertising Involvement and Effectiveness: An Empirical Investigation,” Journal of Marketing Communications, 26 (2), 115–29.
38.
Nippert-EngChristena (1996), “Calendars and Keys: The Classification of ‘Home’ and ‘Work,’” Sociological Forum, 11 (3), 563–82.
39.
OrdabayevaNailyaFernandesDaniel (2018), “Better or Different? How Political Ideology Shapes Preferences for Differentiation in the Social Hierarchy,” Journal of Consumer Research, 45 (2), 227–50.
RobinsonSarah L.KulichClaraAeleneiCristinaIacovielloVincenzo (2021), “Political Ideology Modifies the Effect of Glass Cliff Candidacies on Election Outcomes for Women in American State Legislative Races (2011–2016),” Psychology of Women Quarterly, 45 (2), 155–77.
42.
Rodríguez-SánchezJosé-LuisGonzalez-TorresThaisMontero-NavarroAntonioGallego-LosadaRocio (2020), “Investing Time and Resources for Work-Life Balance: The Effect on Talent Retention,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (6), 1–14.
43.
RoySubhadipGuhaAbhijitBiswasAbhijitGrewalDhruv (2019), “Celebrity Endorsements in Emerging Markets: Align Endorsers with Brands or with Consumers?” Journal of International Business Studies, 50 (3), 295–317.
44.
ShavitYossiPierceJennifer L. (1991), “Sibship Size and Educational Attainment in Nuclear and Extended Families: Arabs and Jews in Israel,” American Sociological Review, 56 (3), 321–30.
45.
SiegelPhyllis A.PostCorinneBrocknerJoelFishmanAriel Y.GardenCharlee (2005), “The Moderating Influence of Procedural Fairness on the Relationship Between Work-Life Conflict and Organizational Commitment,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 90 (1), 13–24.
46.
SirgyM. JosephLeeDong-Jin (2018), “Work-Life Balance: An Integrative Review,” Applied Research in Quality of Life, 13 (1), 229–54.
47.
Van SteenbergenElianne F.EllemersNaomiHaslamS. AlexanderUrlingsFemke (2008), “There Is Nothing Either Good or Bad but Thinking Makes It So: Informational Support and Cognitive Appraisal of the Work–Family Interface,” Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 81 (3), 349–67.
48.
VoydanoffPatricia (2001), “Incorporating Community into Work and Family Research: A Review of Basic Relationships,” Human Relations, 54 (12), 1609–37.
49.
YangLinyun W.AggarwalPankaj (2019), “No Small Matter: How Company Size Affects Consumer Expectations and Evaluations,” Journal of Consumer Research, 45 (6), 1369–84.
50.
ZeithamlValarie A.JaworskiBernard J.KohliAjay K.TuliKapil R.UlagaWolfgangZaltmanGerald (2020), “A Theories-in-Use Approach to Building Marketing Theory,” Journal of Marketing, 84 (1), 32–51.
51.
ZhangJingMaoEn (2016), “From Online Motivations to Ad Clicks and to Behavioral Intentions: An Empirical Study of Consumer Response to Social Media Advertising,” Psychology & Marketing, 33 (3), 155–64.
52.
ZhouQiangAllenB.J.GretzRichard T.HoustonMark B. (2022), “Platform Exploitation: When Service Agents Defect with Customers from Online Service Platforms,” Journal of Marketing, 86 (2), 105–25.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
